Wow! Thank you Albert! Gratefully, Val Sonora, CA On Oct 3, 2017, at 9:17 AM, Albert Stella <amstella1017@gmail.com> wrote: > Hello fellow bulbophiles, > > I am relatively new to this society but a major selling point was the BX and SX offerings. I don't know of any other organizations or societies with such a wonderfully managed member-sharing program. I'd be happy to take over and keep this program alive. Or at the very least help in any way I can. > > Make it a great one! > -Albert > > Sent from my iPhone > >> On Oct 3, 2017, at 11:59 AM, Cody H <plantboy@gmail.com> wrote: >> >> Regarding the BX, thank you Dell for all the time and effort you put into >> it. I love receiving those little packages and I consider the BX to be a >> major asset to this society. We should figure out a way to keep it alive >> and thriving. >> >> If nobody is interested and/or able to take over Dell’s work in its >> entirety, another option might be to distribute the process. It seems like >> the basic BX procedure is this (Dell, please add detail or corrections if >> this description is lacking): >> >> - - - - >> >> 1. Receive bulb/seed donations from members on an ongoing basis. >> >> 2. When a critical mass of bulb/seed donations have been received, make a >> list of the available donations and send it to the group as a BX offering. >> >> 3. Collect member responses to the BX offering. >> >> 4. Divide the bulbs/seeds from each donation among the members interested >> (bag and number each divided member-share appropriately). >> >> 5. Package up each member’s set of divided shares and mail the packages. >> >> - - - - >> >> It seems to me that distributing this work among two or more members could >> be done in a number of different way, e.g. >> >> Volunteer A: steps 1,2 (coordinator) >> Volunteer B: steps 3,4,5 (divider/packager) >> >> Volunteer A: 1,2,3 (coordinator) >> Volunteer B: 4,5 (divider/packager) >> >> Volunteer A: 1,2 (coordinator) >> Volunteer B: 3,4 (divider) >> Volunteer C: 5 (packager) >> >> ...there are obviously many more ways as well. >> >> Some additional considerations: >> >> If there were enough volunteers, it could make sense to have some steps >> performed in parallel by multiple volunteers at once (e.g. dividing and >> packing shares for shipment) or setting up rotations to alleviate the >> constant pressure. >> >> If we had geographically clustered volunteers, time and money could be >> saved by people meeting in person to divide/package shares. >> >> Going a little further out on the limb, if we had geographically-clustered >> *sets* of volunteers (e.g. Portland area, Bay Area, etc.), we could even >> consider having some kind of rotation set up where a given crew could meet >> in person to divide and package up the shares for some interval of time. >> But that is probably best viewed as a future “aspirational” goal rather >> than a starting point. >> >> Of course the drawback of this kind of system is the overhead associated >> with coordination and the additional costs associated with mailing more >> packages if the volunteers are distant enough geographically that meeting >> in person doesn’t make sense. But if there are only a few volunteers >> working at a time, the costs and overhead should be fairly low. >> >> For what it’s worth, I can’t commit to taking over the entire BX alone, but >> I’m certainly willing to participate in a system like what I’ve described >> here. And I live in the Seattle area. >> >>> On Mon, Oct 2, 2017 at 4:38 PM Jo&Greg <sun-coast-pearl@telus.net> wrote: >>> >>> Dell- >>> If you need help, there might be a seed savers group in your area. The >>> folks in our area are amazing ... they clean, sort and package soooo fast! >>> Many sees savers groups deal with all types of seeds, not only veggies. >>> Just an idea. >>> Jo-Ann Canning >>> >>> -----Original Message----- >>> From: pbs [mailto:pbs-bounces@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net] On Behalf Of >>> ds429 >>> Sent: Sunday, October 1, 2017 1:01 PM >>> To: Pacific Bulb Society <pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net> >>> Subject: Re: [pbs] Bulbs >>> >>> Thanks again, Kipp. How about a robot who could sort and package bulbs and >>> shortlived seeds and then fill orders and prepare the parcels for shipping. >>> Those are the real time consumers for me. >>> >>> Dell >>> -------------------------------------------- >>> On Sun, 10/1/17, Kipp McMichael <kimcmich@hotmail.com> wrote: >>> >>> Subject: Re: [pbs] Bulbs >>> To: "Pacific Bulb Society" <pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net> >>> Date: Sunday, October 1, 2017, 3:41 PM >>> >>> Greetings, >>> >>> >>> I've previously offered >>> to help in updating the tech side of the BX - but I think Dell, already >>> at the limit of his capacity for this enormous, ongoing effort, preferred >>> to keep things as they are. Here are a few ideas: >>> >>> >>> 1) I presume Dell keeps an >>> inventory document (such a spreadsheet). We could use this document to >>> populate an online ordering page where, rather than sending emails to >>> place orders, people could instead place their orders online. That system >>> could track inventory and automatically remove items that were spoken-for. >>> >>> >>> 2) The >>> online ordering system would intake shipping address info and, with >>> paypal support, could also process payments. In such a system, orders >>> would not go-out until they had been paid. This would eliminate the need >>> for Dell (or another) to track outstanding balances and copy/paste >>> shipping info from emails. Likewise, non-PBS-members would not be able to >>> submit orders at all. >>> >>> >>> 3) When completing an order, the ordering website could also provide >>> the shipping info as a printable address label. >>> >>> >>> As outlined above, I think this system could reduce the work of >>> supporting the BX/SX. >>> >>> * Those who ordered would be responsible for supplying their >>> correct, current shipping address. >>> * Payment through the ordering website would eliminate the need to >>> manage unpaid balances separately. >>> * Member verification at >>> ordering would eliminate the need to track membership status. >>> * Inventory would update >>> automatically as orders were made. Adding new donations/offerings would >>> still require manual work -but these would then appear automatically >>> without the need to draft new emails. >>> * Ordering through >>> the site could be turned on and off as needed (or we could move to a >>> continuous offering system) >>> >>> There would still be *plenty* of work left to do even with an ordering >>> website. But that work would be the unavoidable stuff like packing seeds >>> in envelopes and, when new donations arrive, deciding how many "lots" >>> of given offering will be added to the website. >>> >>> I would be happy to help >>> engineer a system like this. >>> >>> -|<ipp >>> >>> >>> ________________________________ >>> From: pbs <pbs-bounces@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net> >>> on behalf of Jack and Val <vkmyrick@pacbell.net> >>> Sent: Sunday, October 1, 2017 11:51 AM >>> To: Pacific Bulb Society >>> Subject: Re: [pbs] Bulbs >>> >>> Dell, Robin and All, >>> >>> Dell does a very efficient and prompt job as far as I can tell from the >>> receiving end. He lets me know that my order has been received, for >>> example. That puts my mind at ease each time. Then the order is >>> received about a week later. I figure Dell has made the process as >>> streamlined as possible under his current operating conditions. >>> The only thing I could >>> guess that could be done to help is to have different responsible >>> parties do the seeds and bulbs. Dell may already be doing that. Dell, >>> are your helpers also PBS members? I think I’m the only one in my area >>> but am not sure. >>> >>> Thanks to Dell and all of you who make the PBS such a great >>> organization. You all put so much time and dedication into this group. >>> >>> Val >>> Sonora, CA , N. CA near >>> Yosemite >>> >>> >>> On Sep 30, 2017, at 1:50 PM, Hansen Nursery <robin@hansennursery.com> >>> wrote: >>> >>>> Dell, >>>> >>>> On just one BX you >>> send out 150 shares? And SXs are bigger than that? What an incredible >>> job! And I think you do this on average once a week year-round. You've >>> also been doing this for 14 years or more, if I'm correct? You have a >>> right to retire or step back. PBS Folks, I think it's time Dell had some >>> more and reliable help or at least allow him to retire.... >>>> >>>> May I >>> put forth a request for ideas on how to streamline this process to make >>> it less onerous? I'm sure this has been brought up for discussion before, >>> and it's time to get serious about this situation. Dell has done this >>> without pay as an incredibly generous donation of time and probably money, >>> too for a very long time. Please, folks, step forward and offer ideas, >>> help or whatever you can. We owe this to Dell in particular but to all >>> volunteers who keep this organization running. >>>> >>>> My best regards, >>>> >>>> Robin >>>> Hansen >>> Nursery >>>> robin@hansennursery.com >>>> >>>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>>> pbs mailing list >>>> pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net >>>> http://lists.pacificbulbsociety.net/cgi-bin/… >>> pbs Info Page - pbs -- Pacific Bulb >>> Society<http://lists.pacificbulbsociety.net/cgi-bin/…> >>> lists.pacificbulbsociety.net >>> Your email address: Your name (optional): You may enter a privacy >>> password below. 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